Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[jakeseven7]

Nope, not a mask in sight at most places even by staff. People are complying with QR code’s but SD is pretty much non existent

Withdrawn then! Only VIC and NSW it is then

 

[jase05]

Except now many of the big names are quarantining in Adelaide.

SA is taking on 50.
1270 people arriving in Australia for the AO and Victoria is only allowing a set number in their hotel quarantine system so some are heading to SA

 

[HappyFlyerFamily]

Withdrawn then! Only VIC and NSW it is then

Hang on! Masks are not the most necessary item . NSW just mandated them recently. Social distancing, hand sanitizing, cough etiquette; test with symptoms; trace and trace (eg mandatory QR codes, minimise reliance on manual, better if contact detail Is verified)

 

[Flying mermaid]

Raina McIntyre
Sanjaya Senanayake
Peter Colignon
Tony Blakely
Adam Kamradt-Scott
Etc etc

They are alarmist and full of sh.t!

I have never found Peter Collignon alarmist. He tends to be very measured and sensible. Although I will admit I am prejudiced after his amazing treatment of Mr FM over a year, some years ago. We had many interesting talks with him re infection controls in hospitals during that period.

 

[jakeseven7]

Hang on! Masks are not the most necessary item . NSW just mandated them recently. Social distancing, hand sanitizing, cough etiquette; test with symptoms; trace and trace (eg mandatory QR codes, minimise reliance on manual, better if contact detail Is verified)

Can you even imagine what’s going to happen when WA has a local case

It will make SA look calm cool and collected. Mark this post.

 

[Pushka]

Nope, not a mask in sight at most places even by staff. People are complying with QR code’s but SD is pretty much non existent

I'm seeing more masks right now.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

It looks like now that new daily cases has dropped that the discussion is more on epidemiologists than the cases as presumably we have more epidemiologists than new cases

 

[jase05]

I'm seeing more masks right now.

I’m in the CBD most days and hardly see one.
Went to the local Woolies today and saw maybe 2 or 3 at most and it was pretty busy.
Mrs Jase catches the train to work daily at peak times and her train always packed with little to no masks in sight.
I must confess I wore when when I went for my Covid test yesterday as it’s mandatory but that’s the first time I’ve worn one since my last test a week ago

 

[Pushka]

I’m in the CBD most days and hardly see one.
Went to the local Woolies today and saw maybe 2 or 3 at most and it was pretty busy.
Mrs Jase catches the train to work daily at peak times and her train always packed with little to no masks in sight.
I must confess I wore when when I went for my Covid test yesterday as it’s mandatory but that’s the first time I’ve worn one since my last test a week ago

I’m in the burbs mostly. Maybe older population.

 

[VPS]

I’m in the burbs mostly. Maybe older population.

I've been out and about a bit and caught the bus the other day. No masks in sight (except moi)

 

[hydrabyss]

I suppose its just a matter of time before we hear of people smugglers getting busted at the border trying to get Victorians home.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Exposure sites.

In Vic after today's update of exposure sites there is one train trip on 1st Jan. All other exposure sites listed have dates in 2020.

Health.vic

At the Department of Health, we're focused on supporting Victorians to be as healthy as they can by delivering a world-class health system that focuses on improving patient outcomes and experiences.

www.dhhs.vic.gov.au

In NSW after today's update of exposure sites there are multiple exposure sites listed on 8th Jan , with many on proceeding days.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) - Latest COVID-19 case locations and alerts in NSW

www.health.nsw.gov.au

In Qld after today's update (7.54PM) of exposure sites at there are only a small number of principal exposure sites with the last on 5th Jan.
There are also a small number of low risk site from the person released from HQ (Under the new protocols would have been held for say 4 more days) but where it is deemed very unlikely that they would be able to infect another person.

Contact tracing (exposure sites) — coronavirus (COVID-19)

Information about the current COVID-19 public contact tracing alerts in Queensland.

www.qld.gov.au

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I suppose its just a matter of time before we hear of people smugglers getting busted at the border trying to get Victorians home.

Would not be difficult as people are holidaying pretty well the full length of the Murray River at present on both sides of the river and ski-boats, tinnies, canoes etc abound.

Having said that I think within days anyone from Green Zone will be able to return.

 

[hydrabyss]

Would not be difficult as people are holidaying pretty well the full length of the Murray River at present on both sides of the river and ski-boats, tinnies, canoes etc abound.

Having said that I think within days anyone from Green Zone will be able to return.

One thing that I thought sounded funny was one of the Victorian health officials talking about the planes landing in Melbourne with returning Victorians despite the border closure. For which he responded with they need to "stop the planes" and that passengers should be screened before boarding from Sydney or Brisbane. End of the day border enforcement is done on the border and if they have a problem with it they may have to think that border closure is not for them.

For anyone who thinks this border closure fiasco is going to end in a few months once the vaccine roles out I hope your right but I get the feeling it will go on for most of this year. Then they will just turn their attention to international borders and states which are letting them people in when the time comes.

End of the day if NSW is doing such a bad job and states have to lock them out why is it that more cases are not popping up in regional NSW where people travel freely to and from Sydney.

One last comment, so far as I know Brisbane has had zero community transfer from the cleaner which I find hard to believe considering they had the UK strain. No close contacts have tested positive and yet Victorian health officials congratulate them for the great job they are doing by going hard and fast and having zero cases. I think they are only testing around 20 000 people a day which is not good considering the population size. Northern Beaches NSW was having incredible results which showed with the fact they had daily cases, not people running around with minor symptoms not getting tested which I feel is what has be happening in Brisbane. We have to remember this is the UK strain that they said if it got out into Australia we would not stand a chance.

So no more watching the Victorian presser for me otherwise I don't think therapy would even be able to help.

 

[RooFlyer]

An article in the local paper this morning reflects what I've been thinking for a while about the testing regime in Tas:

Doctor lashes Tasmania’s ‘pointless’ and inadequate COVID-19 screening tactics (paywalled)
In part:

A HOBART doctor has slammed Tasmania’s coronavirus screening measures, saying a referral system is “pointless” and that limiting testing to symptomatic people could have dire consequences.

Hobart radiologist and returned Brisbane traveller Philippa Taplin said she was astonished to be told last Friday she did not meet the criteria for a COVID-19 test because she wasn’t displaying any flu-like symptoms.

The health worker said she received mixed messages from authorities across Friday when later that afternoon her phone requests were accepted after greater Brisbane was declared a high-risk area.

“After being told ‘no’ about 10am, I called up the COVID hotline about an hour later when Brisbane was announced as a high-risk area and was told, ‘yes, you qualify now’,” she said.

“They called me back with a 2pm test time, which was good, but they never provided a time for my husband, Owen, who was in Brisbane with me.

“We got through again on the phone, but shortly after the whole system crashed – we tried phoning four times, as did two of my staff members but the calls failed.”

To get a test here, you have to call and get a booking, and (in my several experiences) won't get a booking unless you are from a 'high risk' area, or showing symptoms. They tell you to go to a GP for a test. There seems to be no inclination to have a 'background' screening regime. The CHO here was asked about sewage testing a few weeks ago. He replied that it was "being trialled" interstate and that they were "looking at it".

And another story: 'Service Tasmania' has proudly opened its new centre in Hobart. Hmmm ....

 

[lovetravellingoz]

One thing that I thought sounded funny was one of the Victorian health officials talking about the planes landing in Melbourne with returning Victorians despite the border closure. For which he responded with they need to "stop the planes" and that passengers should be screened before boarding from Sydney or Brisbane. End of the day border enforcement is done on the border and if they have a problem with it they may have to think that border closure is not for them.

For anyone who thinks this border closure fiasco is going to end in a few months once the vaccine roles out I hope your right but I get the feeling it will go on for most of this year. Then they will just turn their attention to international borders and states which are letting them people in when the time comes.

End of the day if NSW is doing such a bad job and states have to lock them out why is it that more cases are not popping up in regional NSW where people travel freely to and from Sydney.

One last comment, so far as I know Brisbane has had zero community transfer from the cleaner which I find hard to believe considering they had the UK strain. No close contacts have tested positive and yet Victorian health officials congratulate them for the great job they are doing by going hard and fast and having zero cases. I think they are only testing around 20 000 people a day which is not good considering the population size. Northern Beaches NSW was having incredible results which showed with the fact they had daily cases, not people running around with minor symptoms not getting tested which I feel is what has be happening in Brisbane. We have to remember this is the UK strain that they said if it got out into Australia we would not stand a chance.

So no more watching the Victorian presser for me otherwise I don't think therapy would even be able to help.

I have not talked about domestic border closures and the vaccine.

The vaccine may or may not limit transmission. It is as yet unknown.

The vaccine should limit the damage of transmission. But how much our governments then choose to not have restrictions and to let the virus just act is also unknown.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

 

[lovetravellingoz]

The Mount Druitt Hospital Emergency Department has been closed after a positive case. Patients diverted to other hospitals including Blacktown Hospital.

Report from ABC News-TV

And

Live: NSW Now: Mount Druitt Hospital emergency department closes over COVID-19 case

MORNING BRIEFING: The Mount Druitt Hospital in Western Sydney is forced to shut its emergency department for cleaning after a COVID-19 patient attends on the weekend, while several new health alerts for venues in Sydney's west are announced.

www.abc.net.au

Mount Druitt Hospital in Western Sydney is undergoing infection control cleaning after a positive COVID-19 case attended the emergency department (ED).

The patient presented on Saturday and received a positive result last night and were transferred to Westmead Hospital.

The Mount Druitt ED is now closed for cleaning and ambulances are being diverted to nearby hospitals, including Blacktown Hospital.

The clean is expected to be completed by 9:00am today but there are doctors and nurses available in an ambulatory care space outside the ED for any patients who present directly.

 

[antycbr]

Great piece in The Australian today by Nick Cater about the shambles that is the Victorian DHHS and their actions at Melbourne Airport earlier this month.

A small excerpt:

"Finally, after five hours, an authorised officer served the detainees with detention notices. “You are a prohibited person,” the notice stated. Many protested; they had flown in from the green zone and were expecting to self-isolate at home. Some asked to remain at the airport until an exemption could be considered, still believing this to be a bad mix-up. Others begged to return to NSW, where they had children or partners. All received the same answer: “You have now been detained. You are a red zone arrival. Your only option is to go to the hotel.”

"It was early evening by the time the SkyBus pulled up outside a grey-brick building with the now Orwellian-sounding name of Holiday Inn. A lady in blue boarded and started reading a prepared speech. When she got to the clause informing them the Victorian government expected them to contribute to the cost of their detention, the bus erupted in protest. She yelled that the sooner she finished the speech, the sooner everyone would be allowed off the bus."

NoCookies | The Australian

www.theaustralian.com.au

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Howard Springs NT to increase quarantine capacity to 850, up from 600 per fortnight.